The Community Spotlight 2024.06.08

Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the site-related news and best community creations from the previous week!

Depending on when you are reading this, Giant Bomb's coverage of Not-E3 is either in full swing or done and past us. Regardless, let's give a huge thanks to Jan and everyone else behind the scenes that made Giant Bomb's streaming of conferences and @Nite panels possible.

Also, huge props to Grubb for scheduling a ton of guests! It's always a massive undertaking and he's been working non-stop to ensure Giant Bomb E3 fixtures and newcomers get an even spread for your enjoyment. One programming note, Phil Spencer cancelled his scheduled appearance this year and will not be present.

For those wondering why Jeff Bakalar was not present during any of Giant Bomb's SGF content, including the live in-person performance, he unfortunately got sick prior to his flight and could not attend. Please join the rest of the community in wishing him well and a speedy recovery. Bakalar was instrumental in planning everything and it is a bummer he was not able to see his hard work in person.

Grubb announced that those of you that bought VIP tickets to watch the Giant Bomb in-person stuff would also be getting lifetime subscriptions to Giant Bomb Premium. If you bought a VIP ticket for the lifetime sub, but have no way of attending the event, there's a ticket exchange where you can offer them to others. Also, for those of you that missed this deal, Grubb has stated that he plans to make lifetime subscriptions available again another time.

A fix has been released to address major site-related issues on Giant Bomb. If you notice core functions that are not working as intended, please report them on forums or use the community Discord.

For those of you that enjoy a good puzzle and know your Giant Bomb references both new and old, maybe check out https://nukedot.com/. How far did you get before getting stuck?

Finally, last week would have marked Giant Bomb co-founder Ryan Davis' birthday. Many thanks to those of you that have wished him a happy birthday and ensuring that Ryan is gone but never forgotten.

Giant Bomb's Not-E3 2024 Information

• The Not-E3 2024 Time Zone Chart - Many thanks to @marino for once again making a handy time zone chart for all of the big conferences and streaming events during Not-E3 2024.
• GB@Nite 5-Timer's Club - If you have not done so, please read Marino 's article about Giant Bomb's upcoming Not-E3 plans for this week. It's a beautiful tribute to some of the best memories we all have of the site.
• Giant Bomb @ Nite Day 1- It's a LOCKDOWN BAYBEE! If you missed any part of Giant Bomb's first nite of its @ Nite panels, here you go!
• We Talk Over: Summer Game Fest 2024 - If you missed Giant Bomb's talk over stream of Keighley's marquee game conference, here's a link to the VOD. Quick note, there were audio issues during this stream that Jan plans to have resolved in the future.
• We Talk Over: State of Play 05/30/24 - Giant Bomb's coverage of Not-E3 2024 with great coverage of Sony's May 2024 State of Play. Nonetheless, the internet still owes Grubb an apology.
• Giant Bomb @ Nite LIVE! - A few hours after Xbox's presentation on Sunday June 9th at 8 PM (PDT), Giant Bomb will be doing GB@Nite live in-person at The Bellwether in Los Angeles. Regular tickets are $40.
• For Those Of You That Bought VIP Tickets - Grubb announced earlier this week that all VIP purchases will unlock Giant Bomb premium FOR LIFE! You should expect to see your premium unlock your lifetime subscription a week or so after all of the Giant Bomb @ Nite stuff has subsided.
• Confirmed Guests Thus Far (MORE STILL COMING): Elyse Willems, Merry Kish, BRAD SHOEMAKER (Sunday), Matthew Rorie (Sunday), Jason Schreier, Alanah Pearce, Parris Lilly, Patrick Klepek, and... Mike Minotti maybe more than once or twice? Many more will be on the couch throughout the weekend.

Tweets

Video

I'm Pulsating - An Animated Giant Bomb Blight Club Series (S.3 Ep.4) (By: Pickle Giraffe)

After a short break, Pickle Giraffe is back with a new edition of their Giant Bomb Animated feature! What will Grubb encounter as he delves further into the depths of John Romero's Daikatana? Watch to find out!

Galleria

National Geographic - Dan Is Right (By: @jearum)

A ton of photos from behind the scenes have been coming out showing perspectives of Giant Bomb's @ Nite stuff. Friend of the site jearum had a go at turning one of those into a magazine cover for National Geographic.

Killer Mitch Forever (By: @CreakyLegs)

CreakyLegs on Twitter/X has been having a blast of a time combining Naruto with screencaps of Mike Minotti. Here is their attempt to merge Mike with Killer Bee.

Mike Quanchi Ice Cream Pop (By: @itsXcore_)

Mike posted a picture of himself enjoying some Sonic-themed ice cream. Obviously, that means that someone on the internet had to get creative and that someone was Adam Wilson/@itsXcore_!

Community Activities

Chants of Sennaar Is The 12th game of UUGPGC Year 3! Finish By June 17. Mark All Spoilers! +

Little Kitty, Big City Is The 11th Game Of UUGPGC Year 3! Finish By June 3. Spoilers Open! (By: @bigsocrates)

The award-winning Chants Of Sennaar from developer Rundisc is the latest pick of the community Game Pass Game Club! Without spoiling anything, what do you think of its puzzle design and beautiful world? Share in the first thread!

Also, don't forget that Little Kitty, Big City is the 11th game pick for the current season of the Game Pass Game Club! With spoilers now open to air in the thread, what did you think of the game's final act?

Come Join the New GB Album Club Cycle! (By: @unclejam23)

The Community Album of the Week Club is now taking nominations for a new batch of albums for the group and community in general to give a listen! Here's the thread with more details, and some of the nominees thus far!

Blogs

Dread Delusion And Choice (By: @jaqen_hghar)

jaqen_hghar had a decent stab at playing Dread Delusion. Read what they thought of its unique and wacky world as well as why they think it is another shining emblem of the "Golden Age of Indie Games" we seem to be benefiting from!

Oh, PSVR 2 Isn't Just Dead, It's Dead, DEAD! But So Is Console VR In General (By: @zombiepie)

While some are praising the news of Sony's PlayStation VR2 working on PC, moderator ZombiePie can't help but view the way Sony is going about making that happen as evidence that console VR gaming is doomed or dead. Read why over here!

Mega Archive: Part XLI: From WWF Royal Rumble to Battletoads/Double Dragon+

Indie Game of the Week 373: Islets (By: @mento)

WWF Royal Rumble, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, and Madden NFL '94 are just some of the games that moderator Mento tackled with their latest Mega Archive retrospective on the Sega Mega-Drive/Genesis! Give it a read and get nostalgic!

Additionally, Mento is back with a new edition of their "Indie Game of the Week" feature! This week, they look at Kyle Thompson's Islets. Read why they were utterly impressed by what tricks this action-adventure Metroidvania has!

All 3DO Games (Kinda) In Order: 1994 (Part 06) +

All PS1 Games In Order: Part 029 (By: @borgmaster)

Out of This World, Cannon Fodder, Club 3DO: Station Invasion, Corpse Killer, and Cowboy Casino are the topics of borgmaster's latest examination of the 3DO! Are you ready for some FMV game shows and poker games? Well, you should be!

Conversely, Robo Pit, Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996, Starfighter 3000, and Tecmo's Deception all grace borgmaster's latest blog looking at every single PS1 in chronological North American release date! Do you remember any of these games?

The Aspect Of Amico That Fascinates Me Most Is The "Emperor Has No Clothes" Effect+

Skull And Bones' Endgame Is A Mobile Style Grind And It Scares Me About What Designers Think Is "Fun" +

Was Skull And Bones Worth Playing For Free? Not Really. My Experience As A Freeloading Freebooter. (@bigsocrates)

With modern Intellivision getting bought by Atari, the odds the Intellivision Amico actually comes out are... not 0%. Giant Bomb's Amico expert, bigsocrates, talks about why the "emperor has no clothes" effect will still doom the console.

bigsocrates also played all of Skull & Bones' story and pens why they think it might have one of the worst endgame grinds they have ever seen in a modern live service game. Read what made the experience so miserable and why they think it is evidence that AAA game design is moving backwards.

Discussion Threads

Every Trailer From Sony's May State Of Play: What Impressed You? How Would You Rank It Overall? (By: @zombiepie)

Sony's May State Of Play has had a wide variety of different assessments and ratings from those that watched it. Did you enjoy also, if you missed any of the trailers from the event, give this thread a read!

Ryan Davis, 1979 - 2013 (By: @rorie)

Many thanks to those of you who have commemorated what would have been Ryan Davis's birthday. And huge thanks to Hassun for re-posting this photo of The man, the myth, the legend: Ryan Davis.

Vimm's Lair, One Of The Oldest ROM Sites On The Internet, Just Got Absolutely Gutted (By: @zombiepie)

Vimm's Lair, one of the oldest ROM sharing and archiving sites on the internet, just pulled loads of games from its site in response to a request by Nintendo, Sega, Lego, and the ESA. What's your reaction and does this feel inevitable for every other ROM site?

Giant Bomb Is Great But They Haven't Done Reviews Lately, Where Do You Go For Reviews Now (By: @topcyclist)

With Giant Bomb unofficially retiring reviews, where are you going to get assessments of video games these days? Do you even bother with reviews before buying games anymore? Share your suggestions and thoughts.

Legendary Anime Studio, Gainax, Has Filed For Bankruptcy (By: @zombiepie)

Gainax, a name that is connected to legendary anime like Evangelion, Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, Nadia, Gunbuster, FLCL, and more, has filed for bankruptcy. Read what might have led to this and share your feelings if this says anything about the anime industry.

Any Thoughts On The Moza R3 (Sim Racing Wheel For Xbox Series X/S And PC)? (By: @gtxforza)

Before we head into the weekend, it's time to talk about VIDEO GAME RACING WHEELS! Dear motorsport fans and the entire Giant Bomb community, what are your thoughts about the Moza R3 sim racing wheel for PC and Xbox Series X/S?

Lists

January to May 2024: A Retrospective Regarding Past, Present and Future on a Deck (By: @infantpipoc)

For the first half of 2024, infantpipoc played the HECK out of their Steam Deck! Which games work well on the portable device and which ones were a nightmare trying to get running at 30 FPS? Check out their recommendations on this list!

Reviews

@pauljeremiah's Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review assesses how well of a FPS parody it still stands today. Is it dated? Is it timeless? How much of the standalone expansion is carried by vibes?

Wiki Of The Week

Firefall

Also, for anyone that has seen Giant Bomb's Day #1 @ Nite roundtable, you might recall Alyssa Mercante mockingly calling a promotional bus from the people behind Firefall a "sperm looking bus". Marino has some pictures for you on the wiki you might enjoy, but also, our overall wiki page for the game fits this once menacing and despised fixture of PAX.